Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena releases new advertisement, attempts damage control

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena published a significant advertisement in Marathi and English newspapers in the state on Tuesday, featuring the slogan 'Modi in the nation, Shinde in Maharashtra'. The advertisement claimed that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was preferred by a majority of people for the chief minister's post over Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

In light of the ongoing allegations and counter-allegations between the leaders of the Shinde group and the BJP, a new advertisement featuring Chief Minister Shinde, Devendra Fadnavis, and all the ministers of the Shinde group was published in today's newspaper. The advertisement sparked controversy, and now Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is reportedly working on damage control measures.

Today, a significant advertisement with the slogan ‘Jantechya charni maatha, garja Maharashtra maza' has been published in a majority of Marathi and English newspapers in the state, originating from Shinde's Shiv Sena. The advertisement highlights the achievements of the Shinde-Fadnavis government. It also provides data on the popularity of both the ruling party and the opposition. However, the advertisement has deliberately avoided mentioning the preferred candidate for the chief minister's position. Consequently, for consecutive days, the ruling party has engaged in heated exchanges through advertisements, leading to a political controversy in the state.

On Tuesday, multiple newspapers published advertisements asserting Eknath Shinde as the most preferred candidate for the position of chief minister. The advertisements featured photographs of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Eknath Shinde, while Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' picture was notably absent. This caused considerable discomfort within the ruling BJP camp. Minister Shambhuraj Desai claimed that the advertisement was not released by our Shiv Sena but by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's well-wishers. Since then, there have been discussions in political circles regarding the Shinde group's efforts to manage the situation and minimize the damage.